How does space weather affect Earth?

The answer

Space weather encompasses the variable conditions in the space environment caused by solar activity, including solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and changes in the solar wind. These events can compress and disturb Earth's magnetosphere, inducing geomagnetic storms that generate electrical currents in power lines (potentially causing blackouts), degrade GPS accuracy by disturbing the ionosphere, increase radiation exposure for airline passengers on polar routes, and damage satellite electronics. The growing dependence on space-based technology has made space weather forecasting increasingly important for modern society.